Selections from Eliza Leslie

A Note on the Text

xxxvii In an attempt to maintain nineteenth-century style, the selections included here are presented in a format as close as possible to that of the earliest located published versions of the works. (The bibliography and the chronological index of Leslie’s works provide publication information.) Although I have not updated nineteenth-century conventions of spelling (e.g., Shakspeare, colour, neighbour, visiter, waggon), I have chosen to silently correct obvious typographical errors and some nineteenth-century publishers’ conventions of punctuation (such as spaces before colons and the use of commas and quotation marks with dialogue). The few footnotes that appeared in the original texts have been maintained as notes, indicated as “note in original.” They are included within the contemporary explanatory notations that follow the selections. Regarding the selections published serially in Godey’s: material that appeared at the opening of each installment after the first (such as the story title and author’s name) has been omitted to avoid redundancy; headings such as “Part the First”and “Part the Second” have been retained to indicate where issue installments began.The bibliography at the end of this volume cites the issues in which the segments appeared. Leslie’s excessive use of non-English phrases merits some translation. Decisions about providing the translations were made on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the richness an understanding of the non-English phrase contributes to Leslie’s messages. A Note on the Text xxxviii A Note on the Text Of course, reading Leslie’s works as they appeared in the nineteenth century is ideal. The format of periodical publications , the visual enhancements of various reprintings of culinary works, and the acknowledged borrowings from previous publications enhance a reader’s understanding of the literary marketplace . Nonetheless, this twenty-first-century edition provides insights into Leslie’s creativity and skills as a writer—worthy elements that are not lost with changes in format. Selections from Eliza Leslie ...